Welder{40 s helmet having upwardly sliding window

ABSTRACT

A welder&#39;&#39;s helmet having a harmful-ray-filtering window slidable upwardly out of the welder&#39;&#39;s line of sight from a frame assembly at eye level in the front wall of a face-protective shell and slidable back downwardly into the frame assembly as desired, such frame assembly providing for arcuate travel of the window rearwardly and forwardly through the upward and downward strokes, respectively, to accommodate a divergent upper wall of the shell and sliding movement being imparted to the window preferably by operating means connected to such window by a length of stiffly flexible and preferably resilient material. The operating means may be either a manually pushed knob above the window and exteriorly of the helmet or power-motivated means.

United States Patent [1 1 Manz [ 1 Oct. 30, 1973 [76] Inventor: Curtis T. Manz, PO. Box 2466,

Long Beach, Calif. 90801 [22] Filed: Feb. 22, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 228,038

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No 60,256, Aug. 3,

1970, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. 2/8 [51] A61f 9/06 [58] Field of Search 2/8, 9, 10;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,877,024 9/1932 Norton 2/8 1,416,848 5/1922 Lightfield 2/8 2,050,939 8/1936 Fairfield 2/8 3,086,213 4/1963 Crozat et al. 2/8 3,315,272 4/1967 Olt et al 2/6 X 3,332,087 7/1967 Manz 3,540,058 1 1/1970 Logiudice 2/8 ,A/IO

3,601,814 8/1971 Manz 2/8 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,045,939 7/1953 France 2/8 Primary Examiner-James R. Boler Attorney-Philip A. Mallinckrodt [57] ABSTRACT A welders helmet having a harmful-ray-filtering window slidable upwardly out of the welders line of sight from a frame assembly at eye level in the front wall of a face-protective shell and slidable back downwardly into the frame assembly as desired, such frame assembly providing for arcuate travel of the window rearwardly and forwardly-through the upward and downward strokes, respectively, to accommodate a divergent upper wall of the shell and sliding movement being imparted to the window preferably-by operating means connected to such window by a length of stiffly flexible and preferably resilient material. The operating means may be either a manually pushed knob above the window and exteriorly of the helmet or power-motivated means.

19 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUum 30 1915 SHEEI 1 OF 2 HELMET HAVING UPWARDLY SLIDING WINDOW RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a continuation-in-part of presently copending, allowed patent application Ser. No. 60,256, filed Aug.-3, 1970, now abandoned entitled Sliding Control for a Welders Helmet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field The invention is in the field of protective helmets for welders wherein a harmful-ray-filtering window is pro- WELDER'S vided at the front of the helmet at eye level for move- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, a welders helmet is constructed with a harmful-ray-filtering window arranged for sliding movement upwardly from a normal position within the welders line of sight to an out-ofthe-way position and for sliding movement back down to normal position, all at the front of and within a faceprotective shell having rearwardly extending peripheral walls at least the top wall of which is preferably upwardly divergent. Means, preferably in the form of frames surrounding the filtering window, are provided for sealing against inadvertent leakage, around the window in its down position, of harmful rays from a welding operation, and resilient means are provided to normally urge the sealing means and window together but to be yieldable to permit backward movement of the window inwardly of the shell to accommodate the upper wall of the shell as the window is being raised. Means, preferably in the form of a length of stiffly flexible and advantageously resilient material, such as a strap of moderately resilient spring steel, connected at one end to operating means and at the other end to the filtering window and extending upwardly therefrom, is provided for raising and lowering such window. The operating means may be a manually graspable knob exteriorly of the shell and slidable along the upper wall of such shell, or may be power operated means.

THE DRAWINGS A particular construction presently contemplated as the best mode of carrying out the invention is illus trated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view looking toward the front and one side of a welders helmet embodying the invention;

FIG. 2, a fragmentary view in elevation looking at the front and upper walls of the shell of the helmet from the inside thereof, the harmful-ray-filtering window being shown in its raised position out of the line of sight and the view being drawn to a considerably larger scale;

FIG. 3, a view similar to that of FIG. 2 but showing the filtering window in its lowered eye-protective position, as it would be during a welding operation;

FIG. 4, a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1 and drawn to the larger scale of FIGS. 2 and 3; 1

FIG. 5, a view corresponding to the lower portion of FIG. 4, but showing the filtering window in its lowered eye-protective position as in FIG. 3, the view being taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6, a fragmentary inside elevational view similar to those of FIGS. 2 and 3, but with the slidable filtering window and removable parts of the frame assembly removed to show the fixed inner frame in elevation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT The numeral 10 indicates the face-protective shell of a welders helmet of usual and well known construction. Shell 10 includes a front wall and mutually divergent walls extending rearwardly, peripherally thereof.

An exterior window frame 11 is fixedly attached to the outside of shell 10 around a sight opening 12 provided in front wall 10a. A transparent pane l3, constituting an eye-shielding window, is fitted into frame 11 and is held in position therein by a rectangular, flat spring 14, whose upper portion is pressed thereagainst by a rectangular frame 15 attached to the inside of shell 10 as by means of rivets 16, FIG. 6. A gasket 14-1 is interposed between spring 14 and window pane 13.

A rectangular frame 17 for harmful-ray-filtering window pane 18 is slidably fitted into fixed frame 15 forupward movement to a position out of the line of sight through exterior window 13, see FIGS. 2 and 4, and back down to the filtering position of FIGS. 3 and 5. As so fitted into frame 15, frame 17 serves to seal against the inadvertent entry of harmful rays from the welding operation other than through filtering window 18. To enhance this sealing action, a flange 17a, FIGS. 4 and 5, extends outwardly from and along the top of frame 17 to closely overlie the upper edge of frame 15 in the down position of filtering window 18.

Frames 15 and 17 are advantageously molded from a thermoplastic material, frame 17 being provided with holding tabs 17b and that permit window pane 18 to be easily inserted, and replaced if necessary, by slight flexure of the frame.

For retaining sliding frame 17 within its fixed receiving frame 15 while still permitting arcuate movement thereof inwardly of the helmet on a radius about the lower edge thereof as a center inorder to accommodate the upwardly sloping top wall 10b of shell 10 as such sliding frame 17 moves upwardly and downwardly against guide block 19, another frame or tension plate 20 is resiliently mounted against fixed frame 15 to provide an envelope therewith open at its top. For this purpose, fixed frame 15 is provided with outwardly extending flanges 15a along its opposite lateral margins, respectively, and keyhole slots 22 are provided in such flanges as illustrated in FIG. 6.

Frame 20 is preferably a sheet metal stamping desirably having a bottom flange 20a, FIGS. 4 and 5, sloping slightly downwardly for holding such frame 20 secure in the keyhole slots once it is attached thereto and for another purpose as will appear hereinafter. Securement pins 23 are loosely held in respective receiving holes formed in the lateral margins of frame 20 at positions corresponding with the positions of keyhole slots 22, so their heads 23a are received and tightly held by such slots while still providing ready removability for frame 20. Coil springs 23' are mounted on the respective pins 23 between retaining ends thereof and the adjacent face of frame 20, so as to normally maintain such frame or tension plate 20 pressed against fixed frame 15 but yielding upon upward and downward movement of sliding frame 17 to permit arcuate movement inwardly of the helmet on a radius having its lower edge as a center.

Other resilient mounting arrangements may, of course, be utilized if desired, for example, as shown in my afore-referred-to, copending application Ser. No. 60,256.

Means are provided for moving sliding frame 17 and its filtering window pane l8 upwardly and downwardly. Such means may be of any suitable type, either manually or power operable in a variety of ways known to the art. It is a feature of the invention, however, that such means comprise a length, 24, of stiffly flexible material, preferably being also resilient, such as a strap of light gauge spring steel, fastened at one of its ends to the upper part of the sliding frame, 17, and fastened at its other end to operating means, such as a manually pushed knob or button, 25.

In the form illustrated, the lower end of flexibleresilient strap 24 is bent and is hooked into a receiving recess 26 formed in an upstanding boss 17b molded integrally with sliding frame 17. After passing through a receiving slit 27 in shell 10, its upper end is attached to a slide portion 25a of the knob or button 25 mounted in a slot 28 in an elongate slideway 29 which is secured to the exterior face of top wall b of shell 10 as by means of rivets 30.

With the helmet constructed in this manner, it is only necessary for a welder to reach up and push knob or button 25 downwardly from the position shown in FIG. 1 to place filtering window 18 in his line of sight at such time as he is about to commence a welding operation, and to push it upwardly from the down position to provide unfiltered vision through exterior window 13 alone at the conclusion of the particular welding operation concerned. This can be easily accomplished without removal of the heavy gloves normally worn by a welder and can be repeated time after time easily and quickly without tiring the welder.

Guide block 19 is preferably molded from thermoplastic material, with its central portion recessed, as at 19a, to facilitate its attachment by rivets 31, FIG. 6, to shell 10.

The lower portion 14a, FIG. 6, of rectangular flat spring 14 is normally held by means of a latch 32 so as to exert thrust against exterior window pane 13 for holding it in position in its frame 1 1. Latch 32 has a slot 33 which receives a guide nub b molded integrally with fixed frame 15 and projecting outwardly from a recessed guide channel (not shown) also molded in the front face of such frame 15. Latch 32 tits in and is slidable upwardly and downwardly in such recessed guide channel.

If and when exterior window 13 requires replacing, frame or tension plate and sliding frame 17 are removed after unhooking strap 24, and latch 32 is pulled downwardly by means of a flange 32a at its lower end, thereby releasing flat spring 14 so it can be removed through the window opening of fixed frame 115. With exterior window 13 no longer held in place, it can also be removed and replaced through the same window opening.

It should be noted that flange 20a of retaining frame or tension plate 20 normally covers flange 32a of latch 32, see FIGS. 4 and 5, and prevents the latch from inadvertently sliding down of its own accord.

It can be seen that the advantageous stiffly-flexible strap connection between operating means and slidable window can be employed in combination with a welding helmet and harmful-ray-sealing window and frame assembly in instances not requiring movement thereof inwardly of the helmet as the filtering window is being moved upwardly and downwardly, although the usual case will be similar to the embodiment illustrated.

Whereas there is here illustrated and described a particular form of welding helmet presently contemplated as the best mode of carrying out the invention, it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the generic concepts defined by the claims that follow.

' I claim:

1. A welders helmet, comprising a face-protective shell adapted for wearing over the face of a welder during welding operations, said shell having a front wall provided with a sight opening therethrough and rearwardly extending walls, including a top wall, peripheral to said front wall for enclosing the face of the welder; a harmful-ray-filtering window slidably mounted within said shell and over said sight opening for up and down movement away from and back over said sight opening, respectively; frame means surrounding said filtering window in its down position over said sight opening for sealing against the inadvertent entry of rays from a welding operation other than through the filtering window and for slidably mounting said window; resilient means normally urging said frame means toward the filtering window but yieldable to permit movement of such filtering window inwardly of the shell as it is being raised; and means for raising and lowering said filtering window within said shell.

2. A welders helmet according to claim 1, wherein the means for moving the filtering window up and down comprises a length of stiffly flexible material; means connecting one end of said length to said filtering window, said length extending upwardly and backwardly therefrom along the top wall of the shell; operating means for said length; and means connecting said operating means to the other end of said length of material so that said operating means serves for pulling said length of material and said filtering window upwardly and for pushing them downwardly.

3. A welderhelmet according to claim 2, wherein the length of material is also resilient.

4. A welders helmet according to claim 3, wherein the length of material is a strap of flexible-resilient material.

5. A welders helmet according to claim 4, wherein the strap extends through the upper wall of the shell to the exterior of the helmet; the pulling and pushing operating means is a manually operable knob slidably mounted exteriorly of the helmet for manual pushing backwardly and forwardly; and means are provided for slidably mounting said knob exteriorly of the helmet.

6. A welders helmet according to claim 1, wherein the frame means comprises a sealing frame fixed to the front wall of the shell and a window retaining frame yieldably fastened to said sealing frame, the filtering window being slidably interposed between the two frames; wherein means are provided fixedly attaching said sealing frame to the front wall of the shell; and wherein means are provided yieldably fastening said retaining frame to said sealing frame.

7. A welders helmet according to claim 6, wherein there is additionally provided ashielding window; and a flat spring marginal to the shielding window and serving to hold it in place.

8. A welders helmet according to claim 7, wherein the windows are freely removable from their respective frames for replacement when necessary by removal of the resilient means and the marginal spring.

9. A welders helmet according to claim 8, wherein a sliding latch is provided to additionally hold the marginal spring in place by engagement with its lower portion.

10. A welders helmet according to claim 1, including a guide block for the filtering window affixed interiorly of the shell to force arcuate movement of the said filtering window inwardly of the shell.

11. A welders helmet, comprising a face-protective shell adapted for wearing over the face of the welder during welding operations, said shell having a front wall provided with a slight opening therethrough and rearwardly extending walls, including a top wall, peripheral to said front wall for enclosing the face of the welder; a harmful-ray-filtering window; means slidably mounting said window in said shell and over said sight opening for up and down movement toward and away from said top wall, from and back over said sight opening, respectively; means for sealing against the inadvertent entry of rays from a welding operation other than through the filtering window when said window is in its protective down position; a length of stiffly flexible material; means connecting one end of said length to said filtering window, said length extending upwardly and backwardly therefrom along the top wall of the shell; operating means for said length; and means connecting said operating means to the other end of said length of material so that said operating means serves for pulling said length of material and said filtering window upwardly and for pushing them downwardly.

12. A welders helmet according to claim 1 1, wherein the length of material is also resilient.

13. A welders helmet according to claim 12, wherein the length of material is a strap of flexible-resilient material.

14. A welders helmet according to claim 13, wherein the pulling and pushing means is a manually operable knob, and the top wall of the shell is slotted, said knob being slidably mounted in the slot.

15. A welders helmet having a slight opening therein through which the user may see; an exterior frame surrounding said opening; a transparent window in said frame; a pair of spaced frames in said helmet and positioned opposite the sight opening; a movable frame slidably mounted between said spaced frames; a transparent window in said slidably mounted frame; an exterior button slidably mounted on said helmet; and means coupling said button and said slidably movable frame, said means coupling the button and the slidably movable frame consisting of a flexible strap.

16. A welders helmet according to claim 15, additionally including spring means pressing the spaced frames against the slidably movable frame.

17. A welders helmet according to claim 15, including means removably mounting the window in the exterior frame; and a track in the helmet, the exterior button being slidably mounted in said track.

18. A welders helmet according to claim 15, wherein the flexible strap is attached at one end to the button and at the other end to the slidably movable frame, and wherein means are provided removably mounting the first-named window in the exterior frame.

19. A welders helmet according to claim 1 1, wherein the top wall of the helmet slopes upwardly from the front wall; and the means slidably mounting the filtering window is arranged to move said window rearwardly as it is moved upwardly. 

1. A welder''s helmet, comprising a face-protective shell adapted for wearing over the face of a welder during welding operations, said shell having a front wall provided with a sight opening therethrough and rearwardly extending walls, including a top wall, peripheral to said front wall for enclosing the face of the welder; a harmful-ray-filtering window slidably mounted within said shell and over said sight opening for up and down movement away from and back over said sight opening, respectively; frame means surrounding said filtering window in its down position over said sight opening for sealing against the inadvertent entry of rays from a welding operation other than through the filtering window and for slidably mounting said window; resilient means normally urging said frame means toward the filtering window but yieldable to permit movement of such filtering window inwardly of the shell as it is being raised; and means for raising and lowering said filtering window within said shell.
 2. A welder''s helmet according to claim 1, wherein the means for moving the filtering window up and down comprises a length of stiffly flexible material; means connecting one end of said length to said filtering window, said length extending upwardly and backwardly therefrom along the top wall of the shell; operating means for said length; and means connecting said operating means to the other end of said length of material so that said operating means serves for pulling said length of material and said filtering window upwardly and for pushing them downwardly.
 3. A welder''s helmet according to claim 2, wherein the length of material is also resilient.
 4. A welder''s helmet according to claim 3, wherein the length of material is a strap of flexible-resilient material.
 5. A welder''s helmet according to claim 4, wherein the strap extends through the upper wall of the shell to the exterior of the helmet; the pulling and pushing operating means is a manually operable knob slidably mounted exteriorly of the helmet for manual pushing backwardly and forwardly; and means are provided for slidably mounting said knob exteriorly of the helmet.
 6. A welder''s helmet according to claim 1, wherein the frame means comprises a sealing frame fixed to the front wall of the shell and a window retaining frame yieldably fastened to said sealing frame, the filtering window being slidably interposed between the two frames; wherein means are provided fixedly attaching said sealing frame to the front wall of the shell; and wherein means are provided yieldably fastening said retaining frame to said sealing frame.
 7. A welder''s helmet according to claim 6, wherein there is additionally provided a shielding window; and a flat spring marginal to the shielding window and serving to hold it in place.
 8. A welder''s helmet according to claim 7, wherein the windows are freely removable from their respective frames for replacement when necessary by removal of the resilient means and the marginal spring.
 9. A welder''s helmet according to claim 8, wherein a sliding latch is provided to additionally hold the marginal spring in place by engagement with its lower portion.
 10. A welder''s helmet according to claim 1, including a guide block for the filtering window affixed interiorly of the shell to force arcuate movement of the said filtering window inwardly of the shell.
 11. A welder''s helmet, comprising a face-protective shell adapted for wearing over the face of the welder during welding operations, said shell having a front wall provided with a slight opening therethrough and rearwardly extending walls, including a top wall, peripheral to said froNt wall for enclosing the face of the welder; a harmful-ray-filtering window; means slidably mounting said window in said shell and over said sight opening for up and down movement toward and away from said top wall, from and back over said sight opening, respectively; means for sealing against the inadvertent entry of rays from a welding operation other than through the filtering window when said window is in its protective down position; a length of stiffly flexible material; means connecting one end of said length to said filtering window, said length extending upwardly and backwardly therefrom along the top wall of the shell; operating means for said length; and means connecting said operating means to the other end of said length of material so that said operating means serves for pulling said length of material and said filtering window upwardly and for pushing them downwardly.
 12. A welder''s helmet according to claim 11, wherein the length of material is also resilient.
 13. A welder''s helmet according to claim 12, wherein the length of material is a strap of flexible-resilient material.
 14. A welder''s helmet according to claim 13, wherein the pulling and pushing means is a manually operable knob, and the top wall of the shell is slotted, said knob being slidably mounted in the slot.
 15. A welder''s helmet having a slight opening therein through which the user may see; an exterior frame surrounding said opening; a transparent window in said frame; a pair of spaced frames in said helmet and positioned opposite the sight opening; a movable frame slidably mounted between said spaced frames; a transparent window in said slidably mounted frame; an exterior button slidably mounted on said helmet; and means coupling said button and said slidably movable frame, said means coupling the button and the slidably movable frame consisting of a flexible strap.
 16. A welder''s helmet according to claim 15, additionally including spring means pressing the spaced frames against the slidably movable frame.
 17. A welder''s helmet according to claim 15, including means removably mounting the window in the exterior frame; and a track in the helmet, the exterior button being slidably mounted in said track.
 18. A welder''s helmet according to claim 15, wherein the flexible strap is attached at one end to the button and at the other end to the slidably movable frame, and wherein means are provided removably mounting the first-named window in the exterior frame.
 19. A welder''s helmet according to claim 11, wherein the top wall of the helmet slopes upwardly from the front wall; and the means slidably mounting the filtering window is arranged to move said window rearwardly as it is moved upwardly. 